Fotograf Ciprian Vladut

—Sind Sie fotogen?

—I consider I ain't, but it so happens that on occasion some other photographer catches the good/bright sight of me.

—Wie sind sind zur Fotografiebranche gekommen?

—I started taking pictures in 2000 and shooting weddings in 2008. At first, I didn't want to do weddings, I thought it would diminish my work. But I started anyway and found the most challenging environment, I discovered that no matter what type of photography you do, you can always reinvent yourself and find new ways to tell a story. Especially when you meet extraordinary people all the time :)

—Was macht Ihrer Meinung nach ein gutes Foto aus?

—First & foremost, the people involved and their mood (if you're shooting people), then the light (I began ”seeing” the light after years of shooting) and the decisive moment. I don't agree that the quality of a photograph is not important, but it indeed comes in second after the feelings it produces.

—Reisen Sie gern?

—So much that if it would be possible I would be traveling all the time.

—Was gefällt Ihnen an Ihrem Beruf am meisten?

—The diversity – today I'm shooting a wedding, tomorrow a baptism, after tomorrow a concert, then a family portrait, a corporate event or some landscape. It's what keeps me connected all the time.

—Was gefällt Ihnen an Ihrem Beruf am wenigsten?

—Having too much to edit.

—Was ist die Zukunft der Fotografie?

—I think it is constantly evolving and that we'll always see changes for the good. We'll always have trends that come and go, the important thing is to know who you are and do what you really like, not necessarily follow the hype.

—Was das Besondere an dem Fotografiegenre, auf das Sie sich spezialisiert haben?

—Oh, everything about it is special. I must admit I suffer when someone refers to it as a banality, thinking that ”real artists” don't do wedding photos. Special is meeting new people, seeing new places or facing new challenges. Besides war photography, I find it the most challenging type, you get to meet all kinds of situations during one day: different light every minute, you get to shoot outdoors and indoors, in plain sun or in the shadow of a tree/building, inside a cave or on a mountain top etc. etc. Need I say more?

—Wie gehen Sie mit Kritik um?

—I'm all in for constructive criticism, don't like destructive one. That's why we're here on My Wed, right? To constantly learn from other photographers and document ourselves about where we are as wedding photographers. I, for one, would like to hear more criticism about my work and where to improve. Here's an idea: you could implement a section where each photographer could post one photo/week for critique :D

—Gibt es irgendwelche Trends in der Fotografie?

—Of course there are, but these come and go, the important thing is to never let go of who you are and follow your own way. If you have your style, there will probably come a moment when it will be trending, but when it's gone it doesn't mean you have to go with the flow. Out there, there will always be people who will appreciate you, your work, your style and your way of being.

—Was sollten die Kriterien für Kunden bei der Wahl eines Fotografen sein?

—First of all, it's important that the bride and groom identify themselves with the photographer and his work, the choice should be made by whether they consider he is the one who's worth recording their lifetime memories. Then, they should absolutely watch an entire wedding shot by the one they chose. I like being approached by future weds who know a thing or two about photography and who got their mind set on what they really want.

—Was ist bei Fotoaufnahmen strikt verboten?

—Getting in front of the photographer.

—Welche Details werden häufig übersehen, die ein Fotograf aber erkennt?

—The wedding photographer sees the extraordinary where other people see normality. It's not about things, it's about the ”vision” he/she has and the ability to transfer this vision into reality.

—Was beeinflusst den Wert eines Fotos? Welche Elemente sind wichtig?

—Composition, light, placement of subject, vision, editing. Generally speaking, a photographer must be three things: a good shooter (if you don't do it right straight out of the camera, it will be hell afterwards), a good selector (choosing the photos that remain it's not an easy task) and a good editor (I know some of us prefer the ”raw” images – I consider that editing can be a form of art, the same as creating the image with the camera).

—Welche Person verkörpert für Sie das 21. Jahrhundert am besten?

—I have no idea, you should ask me the same in 2115 :))

—Was würden Sie gern fotografieren?

—Led Zeppelin and U2 in concert.

—Gibt es für Sie in Ihrem Beruf Tabus?

—No, not really.

—Mit wem würden Sie gern fotografieren?

—Sebastiao Salgado, then David LaChapelle or Erwin Olaf. And I'd like to see Marius Bărbulerscu or Adina Dumitrescu at work :D

—Worüber machen Sie sich Sorgen und warum?

—Not being able to deliver photos on time, I'm always busy shooting.

—Was war der eindrucksvollste Moment in Ihrem Leben?

—I think that moment is still to come.

—Welche literarische Figur oder Filmfigur wären Sie gern und warum?

—Dorian Grey, I like the idea of being able to stay forever young. But keeping my personality :P

—Wer inspiriert Sie in Ihrem Leben und warum?

—The people in general and the places I visit. The diversity of people and the situations we meet in a lifetime are infinite and life is too short to be able to register them all.

—Wie definieren Sie Erfolg? Wie messen Sie ihn?

—Success is when you feel accomplished, when you're happy with your work and with your family. Success is measured inside one's mind, not on the outside. Can we measure happiness?

—Gefällt es Ihnen mehr, wenn man Sie mag oder wenn Sie respektiert werden?

—Respected, since Facebook arrived likes can be deceiving.

—Was war der größte Fehler bei Ihrer Arbeit?

—Going to shoot someone's portrait and leaving all my cards at home.

—Was nehmen Sie mit, wenn Sie auf Reisen gehen und warum?

—The normal luggage and my photo bag, along with some filters and my tripod. Struggling hard to make it easier to carry. Why? Because I like to be prepared for any situation I meet.

—Haben Sie Apparate oder Ausrüstung, die Sie lieber nicht hätten kaufen sollen? Warum?

—No, not a single thing, I still use everything I own, depending on the situation.

—Wie bilden Sie sich weiter, damit Ihre Bilder noch besser werden?

—By practicing all the time, either shooting, choosing pictures or editing. That's how you discover new angles, that's how you start to ”see” things in a certain order. One day I was surprised to discover that, while marching on the street, I was involuntarily framing everything I saw, even though my mind was completely elsewhere. Probably that's when you may consider yourself a photographer :))

—Welche Arbeiten haben Sie als Fotografen am meisten beeindruckt?

—As I am 95% self thought, I cannot say there's one particular wedding photographer that influenced me. When time allows me I take a look at the work of other photographers, but mostly I try and work with things I find in the places I go and see them with my ”creative” eye. A big change for me came when I started working with fixed and wide aperture lenses.

—Was hätten Sie auf jeden Fall wissen müssen, als Sie mit der Fotografie begannen?

—That it's not wise to make loans when you want to buy photo gear. But I know I couldn't have done it otherwise.

—Was möchten Sie mit Ihren Fotos zum Ausdruck bringen?

—I try to tell the story of that special day, the story of that beautiful couple and the people surrounding them in order that, when you look at the pictures, you may re-live the feelings and emotions that you felt on place. Or, if you weren't there, to make you feel as if... I try to build memories that last, I consider that the value of the wedding pictures increases with time.

—Was motiviert Sie weiterzumachen?

—The fact that I know I can reinvent myself for each wedding, meeting new people every week and giving myself new challenges all the time.

—Hätten Ihre Eltern strenger sein müssen?

—They've tried to be more strict, but I didn't let them. If I would have, I wouldn't be a photographer nowadays. My special thanks go to my mom, who stood beside me when all others didn't.

—Wenn Sie zurückschauen, was hätten Sie besser machen können?

—I would try to be more organized and kill the laziness in me.

—Was halten Sie vom Leben auf anderen Planeten?

—Since we can't even imagine how big the Universe is, there's not one single chance that we're alone... there's life out there, we'll probably be allowed to go find it when we'll stop killing each other.

—Wer sind Ihre Helden?

—The people that do good anonymously.

—Wovor haben Sie keinerlei Respekt?

—Cheaters.

—Was tun Sie in Ihrer Freizeit?

—There's not much time to spare, but when I have it I do some biking, trekking and traveling. Occasionally fishing.

—Welche Seite Ihrer Persönlichkeit bleibt dem Publikum verborgen?

—The tons of pictures on my hard drives and the huge amount of time spent in front of my computer, editing.

—Wann sind Sie mit Ihrer Arbeit in jeder Hinsicht zufrieden?

—Never. Comfort and self appreciation are our biggest enemy.

—Glauben Sie an die traditionellen Rollen von Mann und Frau?

—If you're asking about the man providing the goods and the woman raising children and cooking, definitely no. We're not living those times anymore.

—Schließen Sie schnell Freundschaft?

—Yes.

—Wo würden Sie gern leben?

—On the road, traveling most of the time. Eight months/year would be perfect.

—Was war das Dümmste, auf das Sie sich je eingelassen haben?

—Moving in with the wrong person.

—Gibt es ein Leben nach der Heirat?

—Of course there is, if three vectors are met: respect, admiration and dialogue. Real love comes with time and is nurtured by the vectors mentioned before.

—Haben Sie einen Lieblingswitz? Erzählen Sie ihn.

—I have many favorite jokes, let's stick on one about photography:A mathematician enters a photo lab and says:
- I'd like to print a few photographs from my holiday.
- 9x13? – asks the man in charge.
- 117, why do you ask?

—Lieben Sie Hunde oder Katzen?

—I like both.

—Wen oder was hassen Sie?

—Hate is a strong word, let's use dislike. People that disappoint. I know that sometimes I disappoint, too, so there are moments when I dislike myself.

—Das Beste im Leben ist:

—Freedom.

—Das Ärgerlichste im Leben ist:

—Not having the time to do all things you'd like to.

—Gibt es etwas in Ihrem Umfeld, das Sie ändern möchten?

—Yes, the political class in my country.

—Was würden Sie an sich selbst gern ändern?

—Eliminate procrastinating.

—Was würden Sie in der Welt ändern?

—Eliminate inequity and inequalities worldwide. There are plenty of resources for all of us to be able to live decent lives, without war or starvation. All human being should have access to education and a chance to a better life.

—Haben Sie ein paar Tipps für angehende Fotografen?

—Take each step one at a time and grow steadily. I know the impulse is to go big right away, but you'll discover, as we all did, that experience and vision come with time. Try and discover things your own way, go ask only about the things you feel are keeping you down or cannot explain on your own. Practice every day, shoot as much as possible and edit a lot. Don't let anything get in your way, believe in yourself even when others don't.

—Wenn Außerirdische auf der Erde ankommen und Sie sind die erste Person, die sie treffen, was sagen Sie zu ihnen?

—”Welcome! I knew you were real... when do you get married?”

—Angenommen Sie erhalten den Auftrag, einen Film aufzunehmen. Welches Genre würden Sie für den Film wählen?

—Fantasy.

—Morgen werde ich...

—... a corporate event in Sinaia.